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Description/Abstract

Background: multiple micronutrient deficiencies are common among women in low-income countries and may adversely affect pregnancy outcomes.

Objective: to conduct a meta-analysis of the effects on stillbirths and on early and late neonatal mortality of supplementation during pregnancy with multiple micronutrients compared with iron-folic acid in recent randomized, controlled trials.

Conclusions: our meta-analysis provides consistent evidence that supplementation providing approximately 1 RDA of multiple micronutrients during pregnancy does not result in any reduction in stillbirths or in early or late neonatal deaths compared with iron-folic acid alone.